Jesus Will Return for Believers

Based upon the promise of Jesus and the teachings of the apostles, those of us who trust in Jesus expect Him to return at any time to take us to heaven to live with Him.

The night before Jesus died, He told His followers He would be leaving, but would also come back, and take His followers with Him: “I know you are afraid, but don’t misunderstand. You trust God. Now trust Me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home, you can be sure of that. But I’m going now—myself—to get your rooms ready. Then I’ll come back and get you so you can be with Me.”

Over the next few days, Jesus died on a cross, was buried, and rose again. For 40 days after that, He talked, ate, and interacted with His followers until he ascended to Heaven.

So now we wait. Jesus’ sent ones wrote about “waiting for our blessed hope,” God’s “Son from heaven,” the “Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” But what does that mean, to wait?

I remember waiting with my sister for our father to come home from work. We would always wait for him to eat supper together. Sometimes I was lazy. I would wait sprawled out on the couch, watching television. But as soon as I heard my father coming up to the house, whistling as he came, I would jump up, turn off the TV, straighten what I could as quickly as I could and greet him cheerily as he walked in the door—not the best type of “waiting.” However, when I was eager for his arrival because we had something planned, I would be up and about the house, preparing and eagerly, expectantly waiting. This is the kind of waiting Jesus desires of us.

But it’s been 2,000 years since Jesus said He would return. Does He really expect us to be about His work, eagerly anticipating His return? Well, how many years passed from the time when Isaiah spoke of Immanuel coming to earth until Jesus was born? Or between the time David wrote Messianic Psalms until the Messiah came? How many years went by between God’s promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed by his descendent and the promise was fulfilled? Or from when God first promised a Satan-Conqueror until Jesus went to the cross? One of Jesus’ followers, Peter, clarified it a bit for us: “Don’t forget, friends: for God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn't ‘taking His time’ in fulfilling His promises—His timing is perfect.”

But while we are waiting, some of our friends and family are dying. What about them? Jesus’ followers asked that question. Paul, one of Jesus’ messengers, remembered Jesus’ thoughts the night before He died:

“Don’t worry about those who have died while waiting; we don’t grieve like those who don’t have hope. In fact, they will be ahead of us. Since Jesus died and rose again, we believe that Jesus will bring with Him those who have already died believing. At the end of the age, Jesus will descend from Heaven with a thunderous command. As He comes down, those believers who have died (but are currently fully alive and alert in God’s presence in Heaven) will have their bodies raised first. Then we who are still living will be snatched from the earth to join them in the clouds where we will meet our Lord Jesus. What a wonderful day that will be! It won’t be like walking on air—we will be walking on air. We can encourage one another with this message.”

Adam’s sin brought death. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection brought life. Because of Jesus, we won’t all die. On that day when Jesus comes, the dead, rotting bodies of believers will become new, imperishable ones. In a flash our bodies will be transformed from fragile, corrupted bodies of sin to pure, immortal bodies.